Match-making machine.



No. 806,813. PATEN'IBD DEC. I2, 1905. A. KELLEY.

MATCH MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1902. RENEWED MAY 13,1905.

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No. 806,813. PATENTED DBC. 12, 1905.

A.. KELLEY. MATCH MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 25. 1902. RENBWED MAY 13.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER KELLEY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO ANTHONY HIGGINS, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

MATCH-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed November 25, 1.902. Renewed May 13, 1905. Serial No. 260.333.

useful Improvements in Match-Making Machines, of which the following is a true and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to machinery for making matches, and has for its object to provide a match-making-machine carrier of high eflciency and great simplicity of construction.

The leading feature of my invention consists in the provision of a carrier-belt provided with spring-grippers adaptedto receive and hold the match-sticks during the operation of converting them into matches and in coaction with other devices acting on the'springgrippers to disengage the completed matches at a determined point in the travel of the carrier-belt.

Other features of my invention will be best understood as described in connection with the drawings, in which my invention is illustrated, and in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a machine provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is aperspective view of a portion ofthe carrier-belt, showing the spring stick-holders and the rods by which they are opened to disengage the matches. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing a portion of the carrier-belt with attached holders and the cam-plate by which the holders are opened to disengage the matches. Fig. 4 is a view showing a portion of the carrier-belt with attached holders and the iingers which in the construction illustrated I employ to insure that the holders shall be in proper `position and condition to receive the matchsticks.

, Aindicates the carrier-belt,which,as shown, consists of two sprocket-chains A' A', running over conveniently-placed sprocket-wheels, the links of the sprocket-chains being connected in pairs by the spring-holders, which, as best shown in Fig. 2, have outwardly-extending ends A2 A2, which are riveted to the links of the chain, the central part of the holders consisting of what I may call a U-shaped spring, (indicated at A3,) the bent arms of the spring tending by their elasticity to approach each other and being at their ends iiared outward, as indicated at A4 Ai, these arms being preferably also provided with notches (indicated at a4 a4) pressed into the material and forming seats or sockets adapted to-receive the match-sticks. I provide, in connection with the spring-holders, means for distending the spring-arms, which, by preference, I construct as cam-like rods B B, 6to., one contained in each socket or base of the U-shaped springholder, the said rods being formed eccentric or with a projection, as indicated at B', so that when turned in the spring-socket the eccentric or projecting portions will press against the sides of the spring-holder and force the sides apart, so as to release their grip upon the match-sticks. The rods B are provided with crank-arms B2, which, by preference, turn outward at the end, as indicated at B3.

C C O2, &c., indicate sprocket-wheels over which the chains of the carrier pass and which may be distributed in any convenient manner. All or only some of these sprocket-wheels may be driven by power, and, as shown in Fig. 1, I have represented only the sprocket-wheels O Cs as so driven, though in actual construction it will be found convenient tocouple' Y others of the sprocket-wheels tothe power driving mechanism, the position and number of the wheels to be so positively driven'depending on the organization of the system as' a whole.

D is the power-shaft of the machine, which may be driven by a belt coupled, for instance,

to the pulley (indicated at D4) or in any other convenient manner. The shaft D is, as shown, supported on arms of the frame, (indicated at I.) Through a gear-wheel it communicates motion to a bevel-gear (indicated at E) secured on the base of a shaft E', having at its upper end a worm E2, (see Fig. 1,) which engages and drives the worm-wheel E3, secured on the same shaft as the sprocket-wheel C, these sprocket -wheels in the y construction shown being driving-wheels which propel the carrierbelt. Another bevelwheel drives, through the bevel F, the shaft F', which has secured to its other end the intermittentlyacting worm, (indicated at F 2,) which engages IOO the shaft D it drives the sprocket-.wheels OS through the same linear distance traveled by a point ou the sprocket-wheels C6; but the motion thus imparted to the sprocket-wheel C8 is intermittent,'the said sprocket-wheels and the portion of the carrier directly supported thereon remaining stationary for a period sufficient to enable the match-sticks to be fed to the holder in registry with the feed apparatus to be described and the motion imparted to the carrier-wheels CS being in each case just sufficient to bring the successive carriers in turn into registry with the feed apparatus. The shaft D communicates motion through connecting-rods H H to a sliding head H',4

moving in guideways I I' of the frame I, said sliding head carrying a series of plungers, (indicated at H2 H2, &c.). rlhe shaftD also communicates motion, through an eccentric-rod J, to a lever J J2, pivoted to an upwardly-extending arm I2 of the frame I at I3 and having its arm J2 (see Fig. 4) arranged to successively engage and operate upon the outwardly-extending ends B3 of the crank-arms B2, extending from the rods B.

Kit K6 is a stick-receiving hopper, through a properly-formed bottom of which the plungers H2 move, forcing out in front of them a series of sticks, which are thus fed to the stick-holders of the belt.

At M and N, I have indicated the paraffin and composition tanks.4

P is a frame on which, as shown, are supported the shafts of the sprocket-wheels C2 and C5. Said frame also supports the cam P', (see Figs. 1 and 8,) which as the carrier-belt advances comes in contact with the outwardlyextending ends B3 of the rods B, operating upon them, as shown in Fig. 3, so as to open the arms of the spring-holders and release their grip upon the matches.

P2 is a receiving-belt upon which the matches fall from the carrier-holders, said belt passing over the pulley P2, secured to the shaft P2, which is actuated through a belt Q by the pulley D5 on the shaft D. The shaft P3 drives, through a belt P5 and pulley P6, a shaft P7, having secured to it arms Ps, which actintermittently against a lever-arm P2, secured to a shaft P1, to which shaft is also secured the tapping-hammer, (indicated at P12) and this hammer driven by the mechanism described tapping lightly on the rear of the holders as they pass it and after they have been bent, so as to insure that the matches will fall out of them onto the carrier-belt P2.

` of the motion of these sprocket-wheels bringing each holder in turn to a standstill in front of the hopper K2, and after the holder has been charged with match-sticks the motion of the belt is resumed and the charged portion carried forward, carrying the ends of the sticks through the paraffin-tank M. The sticks are then carried over the composition-tank N, the ends of the sticks coming in contact with the composition roll, from which each stick takes up its head. The headed match-sticks are then carried by the carrier-belt through a suflcient distance to insure the setting and hardening of the heads, and then passing under the sprocket-wheels C4 the cam-rods B are shifted by the cam-plate P', as shown in Fig. 3, to release the matches from the holders, the tapping-hammer P11 insuring that all the matches will fall from the holders onto the belt P2.

The construction of the cam-rods B is preferably such that when released from the action of the cam-plate P they will, under the influence of the spring sides of the holders, move back to normal position, permitting the arms of the holders to move together. In case, however, the cam-rods should become jammed or for other reason the arms of the holders fail to close together after releasing the matches it is advisable to provide mechanism which will act upon the crank-arms of the cam-rods B and restore them to normal position, and for this purpose I have provided the lever J J2, already described, which, as shown in Fig. 4, will engage and push to normal position any of the cam-rods which may reach it in turned-back position.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a match-making machine, a carrierbelt having a parallel series of U-shaped grip-l ping-springs, A2, A3, ac., each adapted to engage and hold a series of match-sticks, in combination, with means for forcing the arms of said spring-holders apart to release the sticks.

2. In a match-making' machine, a carrierbelt having a parallel series of U-shaped gripping-springs, A2, A3, &c., with arms, A4, liaring outward at their ends, each said spring adapted to engage and hold a series of matchsticks, in combination, with means for forcing the arms of said spring-holders apart to release the sticks.

3. In a match-making machine, a carrierbelt having a parallel series of U-shaped gripping-springs, A3, A3, 85e., with arms Ai liaring outward at their ends and formed with recesses, a2, a2, &c., each said springs adapted to engage and hold a series of match-sticks, in combination, with means for forcing the arms of said spring-holders apart to release the sticks.

4. In a match-making machine, a carrierbelt having a series of parallel U-shaped gripping-springs, A3, A3, &c., each adapted to engage and hold a row of match-sticks, in combination with'a series of spring distendingbars B, B, Suc., one lying in the hollow of each IOO IIO

spring and adapted When turned to open the l arms of the springs, and means for turning said rods B, B, Sac., located in the path of the h belt.

5. In a match-making machine, a carrierbelt having a series of parallel U-shaped gripping-springs, A3, A3, &c., each adapted to engage and hold a row of match-sticks, in combination with a series of spring distending- IC bars, B, B, &c., one lying in the hollow of each spring and adapted When turned to open the arms of the springs, means for turning said rods B, B, &c., located in the path of the belt, and means for tapping the springs, lo-

cated in the path of the belt at a point Where I5 the matches are delivered.

ALEXANDER KELLEY. Witnesses:

HUGH C. BRoWNE, HARRY W. JOHNSON. 

